At the Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art, the exhibition "Inflammation" by the artistic duo of Neringa Černiauskaitė and Ugnius Gelgudas "Pakui Hardware" and Marija Teresė Rožanskaitė (1933-2007) was opened in the Lithuanian National Pavilion. On the eve of the opening, influential cultural news portals included the pavilion curated by Valentino Klimašauskas and Joao Laia in the lists of recommended best pavilions. In the first days of the biennale, "Ignition" was already visited by more than ten thousand people.
Commissioner of the pavilion - director general of the Lithuanian National Art Museum (LNDM) dr. Arūnas Gelūnas. The landscape and architecture of the installation were created by Petras Išora-Lozuraitis and Ona Lozuraitytė-Išorė ("Išora x Lozutaitytė Studio"). The Lithuanian national pavilion in Sant'Antonino (St. Anthony) church will be open until October 31.
The opening attracted art lovers
The official opening of Pakui Hardware and Marija Teresė Rožanskaitė's exhibition "Ignition" took place on April 19. On Friday evening, a large group of art pilgrims, fans of Lithuanian art and artists, and Venetians gathered near the Sant'Antonino (St. Anthony) church, where the pavilion is located. Those gathered filled the square in front of the church, watched the event from the adjacent bridge and even from the opposite bank of the canal.
At the opening, the artists, curators and the entire creative team were greeted by Lithuanian Vice Minister of Culture Daina Urbanavičienė and Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania in Italy Dalia Kreivienė.
"Participation in the Venice Biennale is, in a certain sense, a constant ignition for every artist. It opens up new possibilities, although it requires a lot of energy and stamina. I have no doubt that this will also be the beginning of something new, big and exciting for the Lithuanian duo "Pakui Hardware". I am very happy that MT Rožanskaitė's work is being presented in Venice. She was an outstanding Lithuanian artist, her life was very difficult due to political circumstances. It can be said that the life of the artist was full of many inflammations. However, today it is here, just like "Pakui Hardware", and it is another victory of culture and creativity", said Deputy Minister of Culture D. Urbanavičienė.
Ambassador D. Kreivienė thanked Lithuanian artists and the entire creative team, who contributed to the implementation of one of the most beautiful pavilions at the Venice Biennale and perfectly represented Lithuanian culture and art. She noted that every visitor to the exhibition will find an engaging and thought-provoking installation that combines the visions of two generations of Lithuanian artists who worked in different contexts and at the same time blends wonderfully into the unique space of Sant'Antonino (St. Anthony) church.
Commissioner of the pavilion, director general of LNDM dr. A. Gelūnas noted in his speech that the large international audience gathered for the opening of the Lithuanian national pavilion shows that art melts walls and that "Pakui Hardware" and MT Rožanskaitė's "Ignition" succeeded in doing so. Thanking the LNDM team, he emphasized that it once again proved its ability to overcome even the most ambitious international projects.
During the opening of the pavilion, the director of the French Institute in Paris, Agnes Alfandari, gave a speech of welcome, mentioning the program of the Lithuanian season in France and the creation of the Lithuanian national pavilion connecting Pakui Hardware and MT Rožanskaitė.
The opening was attended by Lithuanian Ambassador to the Holy See Sigita Maslauskaitė-Mažylienė, Honorary Consul of Lithuania in the Veneto Region Alberto Franceschis, Lithuanian Cultural Attache in Italy Laura Gabrielaitytė-Kazulėnienė, Director of the Lithuanian Cultural Institute Julija Reklaitė, Commissioner of the Lithuanian Season in France Virginija Vitkienė, family members of MT Rožanskaitė, art critics, curators, journalists, representatives of partners and sponsors. Those gathered did not part for a long time, they looked at the pavilion illuminated by the evening sun and discussed among themselves even after the pavilion's working hours had ended.
Aesthetically and conceptually powerful ignition
The Lithuanian national pavilion curated by V. Klimašauskas and J. Laia'a was evaluated very favorably by the international cultural media. Alex Greenberger, editor of the influential Artnews portal, included "Ignition" in the top ten national pavilions on the eve of its official opening. The pavilion presented in fifth place is described as the most beautifully furnished and opening the extravaganza of carnal horrors in the 17th century. in the church.
The German cultural media giant Monopol evaluated "Uždegima" even more favorably. In the list of recommendations compiled by the editors, the Lithuanian national pavilion takes the first place and overtakes Germany, France, JAV and pavilions of other countries. The review admires how evocatively "Ignition" is installed in the church: "The exhibition exhibits spider web, pulsating sculptures of Pakui Hardware made of aluminum and glass, half natural, half technological, similar to the 2007 motifs of paintings by the deceased MT Rožanskaitė. In the educational space, the installation talks about medicine, the body, the inflammation that shakes the planet."
"Ignition" received international media attention even before its opening at the Venice Biennale. Interviews with artists and reviews were published by such cultural publications as "Artform", "Art Review", "Kunstforum International" and others.
The catalog of the pavilion is melting in hours, the new book about MT Rožanskaitė is also gaining fans
The catalog published by LNDM and Mousse Publishing is now sold out. The red cover, drawn with silver nerve fibers, attracts the attention of buyers in the pavilion and the bookshop of the Venice Biennale. In the catalog prepared by "Pakui Hardware", V. Klimašauskas, J. Laia'a, Egla Mikalajūnė, A. Gelūno, Estelle'ė Hoy, O. Lozuraitytė-Išorė and P. Išora-Lozuraičio, V. Klimašauska, J. Laia, Inga are published Lāce's texts. The catalog contains extremely high quality reproductions of Pakui Hardware and MT Rožanskaitė works.
The catalog "Marija Teresė Rožanskaitė: X-Rays of Art and Life" that has just appeared and was presented at the Lithuanian National Pavilion attracts the attention of visitors. The book published by "MTR art foundation" was compiled by dr. Laima Kreivytė and Mykolas Piekuras. Tuesday, May 7, 18.00:XNUMX p.m. the authors will present the book at the Vytautas Kasiulis Art Museum of LNDM.
An intergenerational look at the effects of systemic wrongs and a call to heal
Opened in Venice, "Ignition" weaves together the artistic practices and experiences of different generations and explores the inflammations of (post)human, social and planetary bodies caused by today's economic and social causes. MT Rožanskaitė's painting and Pakui Hardware's sculptural installation combine the motifs of medicine and health, nature, outer space and the industrial landscape.
"Ignition allows us to perceive what is invisible to the naked eye - the history written in the human and planetary bodies, the systems that are the real causes of ailments, the suppressed internal combustion. However, recognizing inflammation can be a starting point on the road to recovery if only we begin to consider more seriously the interconnectedness of all things, both living and inert. The installation invites the viewer to experience a slightly feverish and giddy state of mind and body in order to perceive the complex web of life. A network that includes many subjects and fields - from medicine to hybrid nature, from the nervous system to the crackling sounds of technological scanning", N. Černiauskaitė and U. Gelguda say.
Foreigners everywhere
The Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art has been held every two years since 1895. It is the most prestigious contemporary art exhibition in the world. The theme of this year's biennial exhibition is "Stranieri Ovunque". According to the curator Adran Pedrosa's decision, the jubilee exhibition focuses on artists who are themselves foreigners, immigrants, expatriates, diasporas, emigrants, exiles and refugees.
